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Member Spotlight: Velvet Spicer

In this member spotlight, we're pleased to feature one of our newest members of the PRSA Rochester Chapter, Velvet Spicer. You may recognize Velvet's name from her time as a reporter with the Rochester Business Journal, where she covered several different beats that impacted the Greater Rochester business community, including the economy, manufacturing, nonprofits, and more. Around six months ago, she made the transition from the world of journalism to the world of PR after accepting the role of communications manager for the Rochester & Finger Lakes Region Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, an organization near and dear to her. Learn more about Velvet, including her tips for PR professionals when it comes to pitching journalists and reporters in the interview below. 

Why did you become a member of PRSA Rochester?

I’m hoping to learn from others who have been in the field longer and, if possible, impart some of what I picked up as a longtime journalist.

What led you to your decision to leave your role in journalism to pursue a PR/communications role?

It was bittersweet. I absolutely loved my job at the Rochester Business Journal and telling other people’s stories, but when I saw the job opening at the Alzheimer’s Association, I knew I had to throw my hat in the ring. My mom died two years ago from dementia, and I’ve lost many other family members to the disease. It’s a cause I’m passionate about.

As a former journalist, what advice do you have for PR professionals when it comes to pitching journalists and reporters?

Some of my favorite PR folks were those who took the time to learn my beats and what stories the paper favored. With so few staffers at newspapers and other media outlets, it’s also important to know that not every story will make it; in fact, you’re lucky if one pitch every couple of months makes it to print (or air), so inundating overworked reporters with pitches on a weekly basis probably won’t win any favors. Still, building a rapport with reporters will help you to know which stories will interest them and which will not.

How does your background in journalism help you in your new role?

I can write a mean press release! And I have a lot of people I can call for advice. Still, PR is vastly different from what I did for the last 19 years, so there was a steep learning curve. I seem to be learning something new every day.

What is something new or surprising you’ve learned in your new position?

I’ve learned that I can’t unilaterally make decisions because so many teams and pillars will be affected by my actions. And I’m learning that I had grown too comfortable with getting answers at the drop of a dime. I am working on my patience!

What has been your favorite memory/achievement in your career?

I won 2^nd place in the Story of the Year category in the National Newspaper Association’s 2016 Better Newspaper Contest in the same year that I placed second as Writer of the Year by the New York Press Association. More importantly, both of my parents were alive to see it happen.

What’s the best advice you ever received?

It sounds cliche, but “go for it.” I had gone back to school to finish my business degree and in my last semester, my favorite professor suggested I take a journalism class because she thought I was a good writer. It changed my life.

If you were to describe your career/professional life in one word, what would it be?

Energizing